Manchester City and Nottingham Forest are set to lock horns in the FA Cup semi-final on Sunday, April 27, at Wembley Stadium.
The upcoming match is expected to be a nail-biter as both Premier League sides will be pushing to seal a chance of lifting a trophy this season.
Man City are currently third in the Premier League table with 61 points in 34 matches. Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, are fourth with 60 points after playing one game less than City.
With both clubs no longer having a fighting chance in the Premier League title race, they are expected to pull out all the stops in the upcoming FA Cup semi-final in hopes of bringing home some silverware.
Ahead of the clash, pundits have shared their predictions for the FA Cup semi-final clash between Manchester City and Nottingham Forest.
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Chris Sutton’s take on Manchester City vs Nottingham Forest
Chris Sutton has backed Man City to bag the win against Nottingham Forest on Sunday, predicting a 2-1 victory for Pep Guardiola’s side in his column for BBC Sport.
“I just have a feeling that City are going to put in a good performance here, and earn the right to reach their third straight FA Cup final. As much I hate to say it, I am expecting Pep to find a way to win, the same way they did against Everton and Aston Villa – although I hope I am wrong. My predictions are so bad at the moment, there is a good chance I will be,” said Sutton.
Alan Shearer’s take on Manchester City vs Nottingham Forest
Alan Shearer believes that the match on Sunday is going to be a long one with both sides putting up a fight. However, the pundit concluded (via Betting.Betfair.com) that Man City will have the last laugh.
“It’s a tough one to call – Forest have beaten City this season. The way Forest play, they’ll sit and frustrate City and try to do all of those things which they do so well. I think this one will be a long one on Sunday evening. It wouldn’t surprise me if it went to extra time, but I’ll say Man City will get through,” said Shearer.
Ray Parlour’s take on Manchester City vs Nottingham Forest
Ray Parlour also expressed confidence in Man City’s chances in the FA Cup semi-final over Nottingham. The four-time FA Cup winner praised (quotes via The Mirror) Forest’s performances this season but cited stats in the competition that favor Guardiola’s squad.
“I think Forest are having an outstanding season. Defensively, they’ve been brilliant.I don’t think Man City will feel any pressure. They’ve been the dominant team in English football for many years now, and with top players who have played in massive games like the Champions League final, they’ll go about their business as they normally do.”
“This is City’s seventh FA Cup semi-final in a row, so it’s normal territory for them. If anything, Nottingham Forest will be feeling some pressure, being in their first semi-final since 1991,” said Parlour.
Man City and Nottingham Forest have played against each other in 95 matches so far. Guardiola’s side have won 38 of them, while Forest have bagged 32 victories, with the other 25 games ending in a draw.
One can say City are arguably the favorites to win the FA Cup semi-final along with their great recent history in the competition. However, it remains to be seen which of them secure their ticket to Wembley for the final.
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